A Time of Challenge...A Time for Change: The Role of Higher Education in the Rural West.

Western Governors' Association, Denver, CO.

Higher education institutions can play a vital role in terms of stabilizing and revitalizing rural communities. Despite cyclical and structural changes in a declining rural economy, many rural residents wish to remain in their communities and maintain rural lifestyles. If rural communities are to survive, new opportunities and new skills must be created and acquired. In addition to rural development efforts of federal programs and private businesses, higher education institutions can provide public services to rural communities. Rural communities can benefit from the various roles played by different types of institutions such as research, off-campus instruction, technical assistance, or entrepreneurship training. The community school can provide a location for telecommunications and other distance learning systems. Offering college courses in rural areas can positively affect rural development. Obstacles to increasing the involvement of higher education include: (1) higher education emphasizes scholarly pursuits rather than public service; (2) academicians and politicians operate in different organizational cultures with different time frames; (3) gubernatorial requests to a university may be regarded with skepticism; and (4) information on successful programs is not widely known. The report recommends that governors use various methods to enhance the public service role for universities and colleges, with specific attention to rural areas. (KS)